Keeping a Piece of Me
by PrincessMophia
Summary: After an assassination attempt against Lucy, the entire guild is left wondering who would do such a thing against one of their very own. After nightmares and a near death, our favorite Celestial Spirit mage is left with struggling through her destructive past. -Mostly Nalu with little Gruvia, Gale. Hope you enjoy! :D
1. Chapter 1: A Failed Assassination

_**Keeping a Piece of Me**_

 _ **Chapter 1: A Failed Assassination**_

* * *

Lucy woke up knowing something wasn't right. First off, it was about 1 in the morning. Second, she could hear men, who didn't sound remotely like anyone at the guild, talking.

"Shouldn't we just kill her while she sleeps? What if she's a mage?" A low raspy voice asked, Lucy labeling him _'Male number 1'_.

"'Te boss woulda' told us if she 'er a mage," _Male number 2_ said, his voice not quite as raspy, but definitely a baritone.

"Better not take any chances." Male number 1 said, his boots thumping against the hardwood flooring as he made his way over to her bed. Lucy could hear her heart beat in her ears as adrenaline shot through her.

"But I wanta' kill 'er!" Male number 2 argued.

"Next time, I promise." Male number 1 said, his voice much too close for comfort. Lucy's eyes then shot open, immediately rolling over to dodge the knife that was about to be shoved into her chest.

"Whoa." She muttered, seeing the knife shoved into her mattress. She made eye contact with male number 1, his crimson eyes shining in surprise. Lucy then socked the man in the face, making him stumble backwards into male number 2.

She jumped up on her bed, not expecting the man to pull out a magic gun and point it at her.

"I wouldn' move, if I 'er you." Male number 2 said, now glaring at her. Lucy's eyes flickered to her dresser for a brief moment and spotted her keys, carefully putting her hands up.

Without as much as a warning, the man suddenly pulled the trigger, a blue magic circle appearing in front of the gun. She immediately leapt to the side in an attempt to dodge the attack. The bullet ended up shattering her window, thankfully missing her.

The man wasted no time in repositioning the gun and firing again, surprising the blonde. She let a scream escape her lips as a white hot pain erupted from her shoulder.

Biting down on her lip, she pushed herself off the floor before tucking and rolling, dodging another bullet.

"Kill her already!" Male number 1 shouted to the other, obviously annoyed with how long this was taking. The other male grunted in response as Lucy ran to her dresser and grabbing her keys.

Another bullet impaled her back, causing her to scream in pain again. She could suddenly see stars as yet another bullet went into her side.

"What is up with your aim?" The crimson eyed man asked the other, giving Lucy the time to pull out a key.

"O-Open! Gate of the Lion! L-Loki!" She yelled, swinging the key down. Immediately, a bright light accompanied by the sound of a bell was seen and heard. Her orange haired spirit leapt forward at the two men, surprising them both.

"Regulus Impact!" The lion spirit yelled, slamming a huge ball of light into the two men as their eyes widened in fear. A moment later, the two intruders lay on the floor of Lucy's home in a useless heap. Lucy coughed, seeing small droplets of blood as her vision faded for a moment.

Loki returned to her side, looking over the wound on her shoulder carefully. She hissed in pain as he tried to move her gently.

"Damnit! Why didn't you call me sooner?" The male asked, picking the shaking woman up.

"C-Couldn't get to m-my keys." She said quietly, her breathing now becoming labored. Loki felt worry and concern surge through him as he cursed again, jumping out her broken window and running to Fairy Hills.

* * *

 **Thank you so much for reading! This is my first fanfic on here, so I really hope you enjoyed!**

 **I really suck at writing fight scenes and crap, so I hope the whole gun scene wasn't too awful! :3**

 **Feedback is always appreciated, and I won't complain about constructive criticism, so fire away folks!**

 **Anyhow, until next time my loves!**


	2. Chapter 2: The Posionous Outcome

_**Keeping a Piece of Me**_

 _ **Chapter 2: The Poisonous Outcome**_

* * *

"Wendy! Erza! Someone!" Loki yelled, breaking into the girl's dormitory. A moment later he saw the familiar red head storm out of her room, not looking the least bit happy.

"Loki! We are trying to sleep," Erza stopped, seeing the writhing blonde in his arms. She immediately swung back around, running down the hall. "Wendy! Wendy wake up!"

She ran down the hall, running swiftly, but also rousing others from their sleep. Levy walked out tiredly from her room, followed by Cana. Lucy screamed in sudden pain in Loki's arms, the spirit looking around desperately before Levy yelled something and ran back to her room.

Cana ran down the stairs, skipping the last few steps as she ran over to the two.

"What the hell happened?" She demanded as Levy came running down the stairs, following by a frantic Erza and Wendy. The solid script mage carried several blankets as well as a pillow.

Levy quickly set up a makeshift bed on the floor, having the spirit set her down on the blankets. The blonde let out pained whimpers, arching her back as Wendy landed by her side.

"What happened?" The girl asked, holding her small hands over the other woman's shoulder. Almost immediately, her hands began to glow a faint blue as she began to heal her.

"These guys snuck into her apartment and tried to kill her, she couldn't get to her keys and she had already been shot when she called me." He explained quickly, hearing another person come down the stairs.

"Juvia heard screaming! Is everyone alright?" The water mage called, running toward the group. No one bothered to answer the ill-informed water mage as Lucy let out yet another pained yelp, Wendy closing her eyes in concentration. Charle flew down the stairs a moment later, joining the young Dragon Slayer. Cana and Levy both watched the blonde with worried gazes when Wendy looked to be straining her magic.

"What's wrong?" Loki asked, seeing the look on her face.

"Didn't you say she got shot?" The girl asked, her face morphing into pure worry, obviously getting nervous.

"Yeah," Loki said, trying not to lose his temper with the young Dragon Slayer. "Can't you see her wounds? It should be obvious even if…" He paused when he saw Wendy's eyes widen, staring down at Lucy.

"F-Fuck… hurts…" The blonde said, now gasping for air as a green substance leaked out of her shoulder wound. She let out a blood curdling scream as the substance began to burn her skin, the smell of burnt flesh filling everyone's senses.

"Someone, go get Porlyusica! _Now_!" Erza yelled, pointing towards the door. Juvia said something before sprinting off with Cana, Levy looking horrified at the scene in front of her.

Lucy bit down on her tongue, clutching the blankets she lay on. Loki disappeared for a moment as Wendy hopped up, running to her room before Charle could stop her. A moment later, the lion spirit returned with Virgo, the maiden holding several medical supplies.

"H-Hime!" She exclaimed, seeing her Master's face twisted in agony. The green substance sizzled, making Lucy take in a sharp breath. More pained tears traced down the sides of her face, mixing in with her sweat. She tried her best to keep back her cries of pain, but it was proving to be difficult, seeing as her back began to burn as well.

Erza took a few supplies from the spirit, while Wendy came flying down the stairs, carrying some towels. The blue haired girl worked diligently, grabbing some rubbing alcohol from Virgo and pouring a little on one of the towels.

"This is going to hurt a little bit." Wendy said to Lucy, earning a small groan from the woman. Wendy then dabbed the towel over her wound, a hiss of pain escaping Lucy's mouth, as she blindly reached out and grabbed Virgo's hand, squeezing it tightly.

More tears traced down the sides of her face, her spirit wiping them away as Erza and Wendy finished cleaning her wound. Lucy took in labored breaths as Erza quickly wrapped her shoulder, knowing she wouldn't be able to do much.

"Okay, now we have to get your back wounds." Wendy said, nodding to Loki and Virgo. The pink haired spirit let go of Lucy's hand, hearing her whimper as they carefully flipped her over.

Erza cursed loudly upon seeing her back, the green substance oozing from both her wounds. Wendy did the same as before and wiped off the substance quickly, seeing that her skin had turned charred and was severely burned.

Charle said something to the girl, encouraging her to keep going. The girl nodded curtly and continued cleaning her wounds, trying to ignore the pained gasps of the Celestial mage.

After the Dragon Slayer was finished, Lucy was still left with short breaths and pained yelps and whimpers. Loki and Virgo flipped her back over, the woman letting out a hiss of pain as she was returned to her position.

"H-Hurts…" The woman stuttered, trying to take in deeper breaths. Loki looked to her shoulder and saw steam rise off of the wound the mage's face twist into pure agony once more as her hand shot to her shoulder in an attempt to smother the pain.

A moment later the door of Fairy Hills opened with a loud bang, making the people in the room jump.

"I can't get a _wink_ of sleep because of you _putrid_ humans! Getting into trouble in the middle of the night!"

Loki's hands clenched as he watched the pink haired woman walk through the door. Her long pink hair fell over her shoulders, the healer not bothering to tie it up. She still wore her long red robe, though her features told everyone she was not happy about being woken up.

Juvia followed the woman quietly, Cana entering behind the two. Porlyusica pushed Loki and Virgo aside, kneeling down next to Lucy. The lion spirit growled at her before standing up.

The older woman carefully grabbed Lucy's arm and moved it back to her side, making the mage groan in pain. She sent the blonde a small glare, hovering her hand over the woman's shoulder.

"What happened?" She asked harshly, her hand glowing a faint green.

"A couple guys broke into her apartment and shot her a few times." Loki answered in short, making the healer nod.

"She must be moved to my home at once," She said gruffly, sighing heavily at the thought. "To think, I might actually have had some peace and quiet for once."

"Is she going to be okay?" Levy asked quickly.

"Not sure yet." Prolyusica murmured, snapping her fingers for them to hurry. "My thoughts are that as soon as the bullets were inside her, they dissolved, resulting in the poison. Now hurry up and follow me."

Virgo disappeared into the spirit world as Loki carefully picked the blonde woman up, cringing as she whimpered.

"Sorry, princess." He muttered, the rest of the girls preparing to follow.

"Only the Dragon Slayer and her cat. I can't handle so many disastrous humans." The older woman said loudly, releasing an aura that made them know she was not to be messed with.

Wendy gave the girls an apologetic glance before hurrying after Porlyusica, Charle in tow.

* * *

 **Thanks so much for reading!**

 **I could not for the life of me figure out how to upload another chapter, so this one took me longer than I wanted to upload. Luckily, youtube has a tutorial for everything.**

 **Nevertheless, I hope you enjoyed! Have a great day/afternoon/night!**

 **Until next time my loves!**


	3. Chapter 3: A Dragon's Instinct

_**Keeping a Piece of Me**_

 _ **Chapter 3: A Dragon's instinct**_

* * *

Natsu woke up with a start, letting a small yelp escape his lips as he tumbled from his hammock, hitting the floor with a thump.

The Dragon Slayer cursed before pushing himself up. He rubbed his back, groaning very loudly before he was shushed by his partner.

"Natsuuu! You're so loud!" Happy whined, yawning tiredly. The small blue cat rubbed his eyes, seeing the pink haired male wave him off.

"Sorry, I fell out of the stupid hammock again." He responded, the exceed cringing when he said 'again'.

"Okay… let's go see if Lushi made food yet!" Happy exclaimed, suddenly getting a burst of energy. Natsu felt his gut tug painfully at the mention of Lucy, his eyebrows furrowing. His stomach felt twisted and his chest tightened. He placed a hand over his heart, feeling it pound uneasily.

"Yeah," He murmured, walking over to a large trunk and opening it. He pulled out his black coat, pulling it on easily and tying his brown belt around his waist.

"Are you okay?" The exceed asked, landing on the male's shoulder upon seeing his expression. He nodded before looking to his hand, closing it into a fist before making his way to his door.

"I just a have a bad feeling, that's all." He muttered, starting into a small jog to Lucy's apartment, Happy stayed perched on his shoulder all the while.

Natsu ran through the cobblestone streets of Magnolia, feeling his gut tug at him painfully. He subconsciously ran faster, wanting to prove to himself that she was fine.

He was stopped abruptly, however, when he saw Master and Erza standing in the front of Lucy's apartment, talking with the landlady. The male forced himself to look up, seeing that her window had been smashed, his heart sinking to the pit of his stomach.

"What happened?" Happy nearly whimpered, summoning his wings and flying over to the two mages. Natsu followed quickly, ignoring all the sirens that went off in his mind.

The Dragon Slayer felt a fiery anger erupt in himself, his jaw clenching when he realized that his gut had been correct.

"Where's Lucy?" He spoke, his voice low. Makarov turned and opened his mouth to speak only to snap it shut when Erza shot him a look.

"Porlyusica won't allow any visitors," The requip mage stated, crossing her arms. Natsu could see the displeasure in her eyes at the fact, but he couldn't help but flare up.

"She's hurt?" He growled, Makarov now stepping forward.

"Lucy has some serious internal damage as well as external. I don't like it either, but we have to wait for Porlyusica to give us the okay to see her." The Wizard Saint explained, his eyes boring into Natsu's.

"She's going to be okay though, right?" The Dragon Slayer asked hopefully, seeing Erza's eyes flicker and Master turn away.

"I have faith that she can help her." Master said quietly, knowing the male would be able to hear.

Natsu could feel his heart constrict painfully in his chest. She was hurt bad enough that she had to go to Porlyusica? How did she get internal damage? What happened? Who would even be _stupid_ enough to touch _his_ Lucy? There was too many questions and not enough answers.

He should've just listened to his damn gut. He wasn't there to stop her from getting hurt. One thing was sure to stand clear in his mind...

There would be no heroically saving the day this time. And it was all his fault.

* * *

 _Natsu and Happy sat in Lucy's apartment, the two waiting leisurely on her bed as she continued writing a chapter to her book._

 _The Dragon Slayer felt his gut tug when he looked at her, resulting in a frown that formed on his face. He furrowed his eyebrows at the feeling, feeling as though he shouldn't leave her alone. It wasn't really his gut that told him that, it was more his Dragon Instinct._

 _"Lushi! I'm hungry!" Happy stated, his stomach growling loudly to emphasize his point. Lucy sighed with amusement, glancing to the pink haired male, his intense gaze making her the slightest bit nervous._

 _"I picked up some fish today, it should be in the fridge." She said, gesturing to the kitchen. Happy said something about her being a 'Fish Goddess' and zoomed off to retrieve the food._

 _Lucy then got up from her desk and went over to the male, sitting down next to him on her bed. She tilted her head curiously at the man, seeing him bite down on his bottom lip._

 _"Natsu?" She said softly, the Dragon Slayer shaking his head wildly to recover from his funk. However he blinked, his heart rate skyrocketing when he noticed how close she was to him. Her eyes held concern- concern for_ him. _He was immediately overwhelmed by her care and turned his head away, feeling stupid for staring so long._

 _"Y-Yeah?" He cursed on the inside for his stutter. The blonde raised an eyebrow at him before sighing._

 _"Are you alright?" She asked softly. Again, his gut- or his Dragon Instinct –was screaming for him to move her away from her apartment._

 _"Uh, yeah. Why?" He said, looking into her chocolate brown eyes that could see right through his lie. She let out a gentle sigh, adverting her gaze from the male as he mentally slapped himself. He could see her disappointment._

 _"You were staring at me so intensely I thought my head would blow up." She answered, offering him a weak smile. He felt heat rise on his neck, slowly inching up to his face and ears._

 _"O-Oh, I was just thinking." He said quickly, his stomach twisting into a knot._ 'What the hell is happening to me!?' _He screamed internally._

 _"About what?" She asked, keeping her smirk down upon seeing his blush._

 _He quickly shook his head, looking away from the beautiful woman in front of- wait a minute. Beautiful? Where did_ that _come from?_

 _"I think you should go home and get some rest," Lucy then said worriedly, pressing the back of her hand to his forehead. "You're kinda really hot."_

 _Natsu didn't even attempt to stop his blush from resurfacing, the blonde blinking a few times before she realized the double-meaning behind her words._

 _"O-Oi! I didn't mean it like th-that you perv!" She practically yelled, making the Dragon Slayer chuckle at her embarrassment. She pulled her hand away, muttering her excuses as he smiled lightly. His heart skipped a beat, seeing her all flushed before he shook his head and called Happy over._

 _"Happy, we have to go home now," He said to his partner, who was snickering at their interactions. "Apparently I'm really hot!"_

 _And that was when Lucy threw him out of her window._

 _The gut feeling went away for the rest of the night, but he couldn't help but wonder…_

 _He really hoped he was wrong._

* * *

Natsu cursed to himself. He should've listened to his gut and stayed with her. Hell, he could've snuck into her bed in the middle of the night- _something._ He could've been there.

Now, she was fighting for her life and he wasn't there to protect her. It was all his fault.

Seeing his expression, Erza took a step towards him, but he took a step back.

"She's at Porlyusica's?" He asked, his voice monotone, but his eyes betrayed his and showed his worry and concern.

Erza gave a small nod, Master not bothering to try and stop him.

"C'mon Happy!" The pink haired male called, the blue cat flying over to him. "We're going to Luce!"

"Aye!"

* * *

 **Yo. So I woke up at about 7A.M and just had the inspiration to write. So I hope this chapter wasn't too bad! I feel like my editing skills aren't worth shit, but I try.**

 **So a little bit of NaLu action in this chapter- but wait! There's more! I think I'll enjoy writing the next chapter *grins wickedly***

 **Thank you so much for the reviews! Honestly, it makes my day to read them! :D**

 **Anyhow, have a fantasmagorical day/afternoon/night!**

 **Until next time my loves!**


	4. Chapter 4: Lucy Ashley

_**Keeping a Piece of Me**_

 _ **Chapter 4: Lucy Ashley**_

* * *

 _Everything was so dark, also everything seemed to hurt as well. Her brain was having trouble processing her thoughts, as well as her memory it seemed. How had she gotten to this place?_

 _Her shoulder was really starting to annoy her. Her back was too. Why does it feel like her insides are burning? It was really uncomfortable, and she really didn't want to feel it anymore._

 _Now her hand felt really warm, was that normal? It felt as though it was being squeezed now, and the strangely familiar feeling sent a shiver down her spine._

 _Was someone holding her hand? If someone_ was _then, who? Can they make the pain go away? It was starting to intensify, making a small whimper escape her lips._

 _Her body started to feel heavier, and she could feel more pain radiating in her shoulder and her back. Not to mention it felt as though her lung were on fire._

"Lucy…"

 _She recognized that name… wait! That's her name, right? The person probably holding her hand was calling to her. Lucy Heartfilia._

 _A sudden wave of disgust washed over body- so much in fact, that it blocked out the pain for a moment. No… that wasn't her name. Her name is Lucy Ashley._

 _More pain slammed into her chest like a train, making her gasp for air. The pressure in her hand increased, the person holding her hand like a life-line._

 _All the memories of the last night came back to her in a flash. The ambush, the two 'assassins', Loki, apologies, Fairy Hills, the excruciating pain. That wasn't just a dream, like she thought it was. It was real, it happened._

 _How had she even allowed it to happen?_

"Luce!"

 _There was that voice again! Who was it? Why are they calling out to her?_

 _She took another deep breath, her lung screaming in protest- but only her left lung. Not her right._

"C'mon, wake up."

 _The voice almost seemed desperate. It was so familiar and just so… warm. Maybe if she woke up, she could see who it was?_

 _She wanted to tell the voice to stop worrying- that she would wake up. With that thought in mind, the blonde pulled out of her sleep._

* * *

Natsu stared at the sleeping woman, seeing her face twist in confusion or pain every few minutes. He clutched her hand tightly, Wendy and Porlyusica working quickly in the small hut.

It had been no picnic for the Dragon Slayer to enter her hut. In fact, it was downright awful. The mean old healer lady- as Natsu calls her –threw him out the first three times he got in. The fourth time, she just complained very loudly about his 'predictable human ways'.

Luckily, she let him stay, but told him he had to be quiet. Happy was sitting on Lucy's stomach, watching her chest rise and fall gently.

After a while after experimentally saying her name, he had gotten a reaction out of her, making his chest flutter with hope. He noticed how she looked incredibly confused, he could practically _hear_ the gears turning in her brain.

His heart nearly leapt out of his chest when one of her eyes cracked open, before groaning and blinked feverishly.

"She's awake!" The Dragon Slayer exclaimed excitedly, seeing her struggling to keep her eyes open. She looked over to him, her brown eyes dull as she saw him. She suddenly smiled, though it was weak, recognition flashing in her eyes.

"N-Natsu." She whispered, her voice raspy. She looked down to her belly to see Happy who had now wrapped his arms around her as he wept loudly.

"H-Happy." She murmured.

"Lucy-san, please don't talk! Your vocal cords were put under tremendous stress yesterday." Wendy reprimanded, earning a small nod from the blonde. Natsu saw as her eyes suddenly flickered in pain, but she bit down quickly on her tongue to suppress a yell.

The pink haired male felt his stomach drop at the sight of her in pain, he also felt the need to kill whoever put her through this. But that could wait until she was better.

He hated to see his friends in pain, but it always angered him the most when it was Lucy in pain.

She let out a shaky sigh, her eyes closing tightly before Porlyusica came over to her bedside, holding a small cup of frothy, pink liquid. Lucy struggled to open her eyes as the healer helped her sit up, ignoring how she was obviously in pain.

"Dragon Slayer, help her drink this. And make sure she gets all of it down." She said, handing the cup to Natsu. He looked down into the liquid, grimacing at the smell.

"What is it?" He asked, looking up towards the older woman.

"Just something to get any excess poison out of her body." She responded, now sounding annoyed. Natsu visibly tensed at the mention of poison. She was _poisoned?_

Natsu would make sure that whoever did this to her would go straight to hell.

Lucy looked over to the male and gave him a questioning glance. He gave her a small smile as the healer went back to Wendy to help her with another potion.

Natsu scooted closer to the blonde, bringing the potion to her lips. She also cringed at the smell, shooting him a look that read, _do-I-really-have-to-do-this?_ He gave her an apologetic look in response, a small groan escaping her mouth.

The woman then complied, her eyes closing as the liquid went down her throat. She gripped the bedsheets, her eyes closing tightly. The liquid was practically burning her throat, but it all went down alright.

When the cup was empty, the blonde let out a heavy sigh of relief. She could feel the pain dribbling away, leaving her with a small satisfied smile on her face. Natsu set the cup down, smiling.

Happy crawled onto Lucy's lap, the blonde stroking his soft, blue fur. Natsu reached out and grabbed her free hand, feeling his heart thump when she accepted him whole-heartedly, intertwining their fingers. She sent him a soft look before looking towards the door with an uncertain expression. A single question now plagued her mind, now that she had time to think.

 _Did they find her?_

* * *

Makarov and Erza looked around Lucy's apartment, searching for any clues the assassins may have left. The landlady was not happy about having people in her building, especially after what had happened the night before.

They were trying to convince her to let them in when Natsu and Happy had come along, but it all worked out in the end.

Erza examined the shattered window, cringing at the power of the bullets. If Lucy had been hit by a bullet this powerful… not to mention she was shot _3 times._

"Erza." Makarov called weakly, standing by the blonde's dresser. He held a small white note in his hands, staring at it with an intense and solemn expression.

The red head went over to him, taking the note from his hands. Her eyes flew open as she read it.

 **Found you.**

 **-The Heartfilia Family**

"Th-The Heartfilias?" Erza murmured, looking down at the Master.

"Yes, this situation is much worse than we originally thought it was." He said, his anger and frustration slowly starting to show. "Either Lucy had been a prisoner there, or she had worked for them. And neither of those are good options."

Shaking her head, Erza gave the note back to him, a feeling of betrayal rising within her.

"How could she not tell about this?" She asked quietly, her fists clenching. Makarov held up a hand to stop her from saying anything more, seeing his now impassive face.

"Once she is well, we will talk to her." He says, his eyes falling to the floor. "I know she will have a good explanation. I trust her decision not to tell us. We will get our answers, but until then, this stays between us."

With a reluctant nod, Erza agreed.

* * *

 **Yo. Whew, chapter 4 status: complete!**

 **This chapter was sorta good, although I hope I didn't twist you're minds too much with the whole 'Lucy Ashley' thing. I wanted to get it in earlier that she had a different name than 'Lucy Heartfilia' but I couldn't find the right place to put it. So I thought: "Here's nice." and threw it in there.**

 **So yup, the Heartfilia family is pretty great, huh? Yeah... _right._..**

 **Anyhow, have a terrific day/afternoon/night!**

 **Until next time my loves!**


	5. Chapter 5: Unanswered Questions

_**Keeping a Piece of Me**_

 _ **Chapter 5: Unanswered Questions**_

* * *

Lucy sat quietly in Fairy Tail, sneaking glances at her partner and his cat as they stuffed food in their faces. It had been about a week and a half since Lucy had been attacked, and _surprise surprise,_ Natsu had become about a million times more protective than usual.

The Dragon Slayer wouldn't let her out of his sight for Mavis's sake! It was both heart-warming and completely and utterly annoying.

In fact, everyone seemed a little more alert. Not that Lucy could blame them.

But she couldn't ignore the fact that every time Natsu saw the burn mark on her shoulder, he would look incredibly guilty. As if it were his fault- which it obviously wasn't. She didn't quite understand his way of thinking, but now she would always try and keep the scars hidden from his view.

She was suddenly snapped out of her thoughts when she heard someone call her name. She looked up to see Makarov standing at the top of the stairs, looking directly at the blonde. Natsu watched her as she stood up and sent him a reassuring smile and went to greet the Master.

When she did, she was almost surprise to see Erza also joining them. After seeing the serious expression on Makarov's face, she knew that this wouldn't be such a friendly exchange.

The Master led them both to his office, gesturing for them to sit. The tension was incredibly thick, almost to the point where Lucy was pretty sure she could cut it with a knife.

Erza cleared her throat and sent a look towards Makarov, making him sigh. He cast a quick spell on the room, so no one would be able to hear their conversation before looking at the now nervous Celestial Mage.

"Lucy," He said, breaking the awfully loud silence. "The day you were attacked, Erza and I both searched your apartment for any clues or evidence about the assassinators, and we found this."

The Wizard Saint placed the white note on his desk and pushed it towards the blonde. She glanced up at the man and took the note, opening it with slightly shaky hands. Her eyes dimmed, her skin almost instantly going pale.

"Were you ever involved with the Heartfilia family, in any way, shape or form?" He asked, his eyes narrowing on her. "And now is not a time to be lying."

She stayed silent for an entire minute, rereading the note over and over, as if trying to see if it were real. Then once she had control over herself, she muttered out a 'no'.

Erza let out a noise that was in between a growl and a yell, making Lucy flinch. The blonde averted her eyes from Makarov's and took in a deep breath.

"I've heard of them, and the things they've done, but I have never been involved with them." She said, looking back to Erza then Makarov. The red head was practically fuming at her answer.

"Why does it say 'Found you', then? On the note?" Erza growled out impatiently, the blonde shrugging.

"I don't know. They must've had the wrong person." She answered, her heart pounding in her chest. "I wouldn't lie about something like this."

Just as Erza was about to argue back, Makarov lifted his hand to stop her from saying anything more.

"Erza, would you mind leaving me and Miss Ashley alone for a moment?" Master asked the red head in a tone that allowed no room for argument. Erza muttered something under her breath and left the room, slamming the door on her way out. Makarov stared intensely at Lucy for a moment before he sighed..

"Lucy, I don't know what it is you're hiding from us, but I just want you to know that now that the Heartfilias are involved with you somehow, we are all now involved. We want to help you, but if you won't tell us what's wrong, we can't. We can protect you. You must remember that we are family, and family will always be there when you need them." He said softly, walking to the door of his office and opening it for her to leave.

Lucy stood up slowly and walked to the door, pausing in front of the Master. They locked eyes, and the older man was surprised to see guilt and regret in her eyes.

"Do you know what happens to the prisoners they keep?" She asked, keeping her voice low. "They kill them after extracting their information and money." Makarov looked at her with an unreadable expression as her eyes suddenly looked glossed over.

"And do you know what happens to the people who have information about the Heartfilia's lost daughter?"

Makarov's eyes turned into saucers as the words left her lips.

"They disappear."

* * *

 **Yo. So this one is a little on the short side (as are all of my chapters), but this one is like really short. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoyed it!**

 **I will be going on vacation this week, so don't expect another chapter until Monday. That's my goal anyway. As you can plainly see, my uploads are kinda inconsistent, at least in my perspective they are. So hopefully this chapter wasn't too bad.**

 **Also, sorry about the lack of NaLu in this chapter, and the abrupt 'Lucy's all better now!' kind of thing. I really didn't feel like writing a recover phase for her.**

 **Anyhow, have a wonderful day/afternoon/night!**

 **Until next time my loves!**


	6. Chapter 6: Memories ofa Destructive Past

_**Keeping a Piece of Me**_

 _ **Chapter 6:**_ _**Memories of a Destructive Past**_

* * *

When Lucy returned to the bar, she was painfully aware of Erza's stare, and was trying to avoid looking back at her. By the look Natsu gave her, she knew that he was curious as to what they had talked about.

However, Lucy gave him a small shake of her head. He gave her a skeptical glance before returning to his meal of fire chicken. She then looked down at the bar and sighed, running a hand through her hair, beginning her long thinking process.

The blonde knew she shouldn't have said anything to Makarov on her way out. He was very smart, and it wouldn't take him long to piece together all the hints she had given him. Especially with that last one- just _what_ was she thinking?

She might as well have worn a shirt that said 'I'm the Heartfilia's lost daughter!' in big bold letters. _Mavis,_ she was stupid.

Telling him that would make him a target if _they_ were to ever find out. If the old man had any sense, he would stop trying to dig for more answers and allow her to handle this on her own…

Lucy knew better though… they had found her. There really was only two ways she could get off their radar. The first option was death. The second was that she could run away.

Neither settled well with her.

Running away was definitely the better option of the two, but she wouldn't be able to bear being away from here. She's had such a nice life, finally being away from her 'family'. She had friends, people who cared about her, her own apartment, she's been making a living, feeling so… free.

Now the people who she hated and feared the most were on her heels, ready to destroy her newfound freedom. They probably had known where she was for a long time, but chose this particular moment to attack.

She couldn't deny that she was afraid of them, as much as she was ashamed to admit it- she was terrified. She didn't want to be captured and sent to her impending death. She had seen it happen so many times before.

The first time was when she was seven. She remembered the day clearly. A prisoner had tried to escape, but he was caught before he could even leave the grounds. Her Mother had a crazed look on her face while she hacked the man's face in, not caring whatsoever about his screams and pleas for her to stop. She remembered how her Father had _laughed_ when he tried to tell him about his family that was waiting for his safe return. But it was all in vain.

There was blood. _So much blood._ And she had watched her Mother beat a man to death with a club. She was told several times that day that if anyone tried to escape, they would be killed. No matter how much information they had- no matter how much money they could give.

They would always die… no one ever escaped from them. It was only a matter of time. Dear _Mavis_ she was going to-!

"Luce?"

The blonde snapped her head toward her partner, realizing that she had been hyperventilating.

His eyes shone with concern as she looked away, feeling Erza's eyes burn holes into the back of her head. She closed her eyes tightly, taking in a shaky breath before getting up from her spot.

"Sorry, I think I'm just going to go home." She said, turning away from his questioning gaze. She walked quickly to the guild doors, hearing someone call her name, but ignoring it. She just needed to sleep.

Yeah… sleep…

* * *

 _A young blonde girl sat next to a large cell, a man with black hair looking at her as she spoke quickly and quietly. Several others were with the girl as she quickly unlocked his cell, making her way to the next one._

 _After letting out several more prisoners, she had completely cleared out the first floor of the prison. The prisoners were all weak, being deprived of food and water for almost five days._

 _The young girl pulled out a golden key, and whispered something, and a moment later a man with four red crab legs was standing next to her, holding scissors in both his hands._

 _"Cancer, make sure no one sneaks up on us," The girl whispered, pointing to the back. The crab-like man nodded and ran towards the end of the line of prisoners, keeping watch._

 _With a small wave of her hand, the group of twenty-seven prisoners followed the girl, keeping as quiet as they could. They had questions, but knew better than to ask them while this twelve year old was trying to give them their freedom._

 _Before rounding a corner, she held up her hand, stopping the group from advancing. She grabbed a whip from under her clothing and uncoiled it carefully. Then she jumped into the clear view of two guards, cracking her whip against them, disarming them of their weapons._

 _She advanced forward, knocking them both out with ease. She then whistled for the prisoners and they all began to run, now hearing screams and yells from down the hall._

 _The girl was filled with determination as she pulled out another key upon seeing more guards._

 _"Open! Gate of the Golden Goat! Capricorn!" She yelled, swinging the golden key down in front of her. Not even a second passed before a tall goat-like man had appeared in front of her, adjusting his sunglasses as he ran forth with her._

 _The two fought in perfect unison, sending kicks, punches and perfectly timed magic attacks at the guards. As soon as they knocked out the guards, she led everyone further down the hall, seeing the exit so close._

 _"Hurry!" She called, gesturing for them to run. Loud sirens sounded around them, only driving them to go faster and escape._

 _They were running out of time!_

 _Pushing forth, the girl led them onto the Heartfilia land, Capricorn and Cancer both now carrying the ones who did not have the strength to run on._

 _Somehow, everyone got to the fence safely, and the girl escorted them under a large piece that had been cut out. Everyone pushed and shoved each other in order to go under it, making their way down to the large beach that surrounded the island._

 _A large ship was waiting at the dock for them, five men running over to help them._

 _"Well done, Lucy." The captain of the ship said to the little girl. She smiled in response and helped the prisoners onto the ship, answering questions as she did._

 _When everyone was on the ship, the girl, now known as Lucy, took out a large sack of jewel and handed it to the captain._

 _She suddenly heard loud yells from behind her, and swung around, seeing guards at the fence._

 _"Hurry up and go! I'll catch up!" She yelled, pushing him towards the ship. He ran to the ship, calling for them to set sail. She called Cancer and Capricorn back, feeling her magic become rather strained. She ran over to the water just as they began to pull away from port, and pulled out her strongest spirit._

 _"Open! Gate of the Water Bearer! Aquarius!" She yelled, the large mermaid spirit appearing. The blue haired woman glared at the young girl before she sent a large wave of water towards the ship, sending them further out to sea to escape the army of guards._

 _Lucy felt her consciousness slipping as she heard a familiar feminine voice scream her name, followed by a masculine voice doing the same. She forced her spirit back to the Celestial World as her magic finally gave out on her._

 _Something grabbed her arm roughly, causing her to yelp with surprise as she was dragged upwards to meet her Father's furious gaze. She felt tears sting at her eyes when he slapped her full force across her cheek, effectively making her yelp with pain._

 _"You are going to pay for that, you little bitch." She heard her Mother say. Another pain exploded in her ribcage, knocking the air from her lungs. The tears spilled onto her cheeks when she heard her Mother call for someone to put her in a cell._

 _She had lost her one chance at freedom._

* * *

Lucy woke up with a start, gasping for air that her lungs suddenly lacked. A cold sweat covered her body as she groaned. She attempted to sit up, but a warm arm draped around her stopped the woman's movements.

The arm suddenly moved slightly, causing the blonde's breath to halt.

"You awake?"

She nodded at her best friend's voice, relaxing as he pulled her closer to his chest. His arms went around her small waist, trapping her in a warm embrace that made her feel safe and secure.

"Something wrong?" He asked, obviously tired. She shook her head against his chest, closing her eyes.

"Just a dream." She murmured, her voice sounding slightly raspy. ' _More like a memory'_ She nearly said.

"Wanna talk 'bout it?" He asked her, earning a small head shake for 'no' in response.

"Nah," She said, yawning. "Why are you here?"

"I gotta protect you from the assassins." He said, burying his face in her hair. She giggled in response, feeling exhaustion wrap around her like a blanket.

"Thanks." She said, lazily throwing one arm over his waist. He hummed and held her closer to himself.

"G'night." He mumbled.

"Night,"

* * *

 **Yo. I'm back from vacation! Yay! So this is chapter 6, and I have got to say that the dream was sort of underdeveloped in my opinion. I was rereading it for the umpteenth time and I was like: Phia? Where the hell did she get all this power from? And my brain could not conjure up an answer.**

 **So, Lucy is basically super cool and powerful and shit. But: I plan for most of this to be explained in the next chapter. So hold on to your hats because boy howdy do I have some ideas.**

 **Also, feedback is always much appreciated, so thank you very much for the nice comments! I swear, whenever I read something in the comment, my heart does this thing where it explodes a little... Geehee**

 **Anyhow, have a cheerful day/afternoon/night!**

 **Until next time my loves!**


	7. Chapter 7: Decision Making

_**Keeping a Piece of Me**_

 _ **Chapter 7: Decision Making**_

* * *

Lucy woke up to the sounds of someone giggling, followed by a clicking noise that sounded _awfully_ like a camera.

Too tired to pay any attention to her 'over active imagination', the blonde ignored the sounds and snuggled closer to Natsu's warm chest. She smiled softly, attempting to reclaim her sleep when she heard another camera noise, followed by an all-too-familiar voice.

"They liiiiiiike each other!"

The blonde's eyes suddenly snapped open as she immediately shoved away from the male's chest, earning a groan from the unsuspecting victim. Unfortunately for Lucy, that shove had sent her off her bed, thumping against the hard-wood flooring.

She groaned, feeling the back of her neck heat up as a blue exceed flew next to the blonde, smirking mischievously. He held a camera in his paws, the look in his eyes making the woman shiver.

However her creeped out feeling quickly turned to anger.

"What the hell do you think you're doing here?!" She hissed, making the cat summon his wings and fly up to her bed.

"Natsu! Lushi is scaring me!" He exclaimed, burrowing himself under the covers next to his partner. The male stirred and sat up, propping himself up on his elbows. He let out a very loud yawn and stretched out his back, reaching to pat the place where Lucy was sleeping.

He made a noise of confusion and looked over the side of the bed to see the blonde looking completely enraged on the floor. Oblivious as always, he gave her a large smile.

"Hey Luce!" He greeted, making the woman's eye twitch.  
"Tell the cat to hand the camera over." She said as calmly as she could (which wasn't calm at all). He involuntarily shivered at her voice before lifting the covers where Happy had hid.

"Why does he have a camera?" Natsu then asked, blinking as he easily took the camera away from the exceed. When he got no response, he looked over to the mage, seeing her avoiding his eye contact while her face vaguely resembled a tomato.

"C-Can you guys just go home?" She stuttered, attempting to look angry when she was really just embarrassed. If you asked the male _why_ she was embarrassed, he wouldn't be able to tell you. Women were just weird.

"Gladly!" Happy chirped, zooming out of the window while Natsu blinked in confusion. He hesitated for a moment, before following the blue cat out of the window, though he wasn't going home. He just sat outside her apartment, ready to beat up any assassins that may come to attack Lucy.

The blonde, however, was still sitting inside her apartment, cursing at herself for being so awkward. Honestly.

She forced herself off her floor and went over to her dresser, trying to ease the blush she knew was on her cheeks. Why did he have this stupid effect on her?

With a shake of her head, she pushed all the thoughts from that morning to the back of her mind. She had more important things to worry about at the moment.

Like this whole situation that she was trapped in. The Heartfilia's knew where she lived, and there was a good chance that they knew she was in Fairy Tail, which was even worse. It was only a matter of time until they would come and kill her, and she was in no position to make a fuss.

The Heartfilias had hundreds of trained assassins, and the blonde knew her parents well enough to know that they would send every single one out to destroy her and her guild. The two men sent after her didn't know she had magic- which was strange knowing that her parents knew about her spirits when she was… captured.

Was it a test, maybe? To see if she would kill them? The more she thought about it, the less sense it made, but her brain was stuck on the idea.

Ignoring it altogether, Lucy opened a drawer of her dresser, picking out a white shirt with blue trimmings and two thick blue stripes. She chose a black skirt to match and pulled out a brown belt that she tied around her hips, attaching her keys and whip to it as well.

She then went into her bathroom, cringing at her rats-nest hair. She quickly picked up her pink comb and began to brush her out, working through tangles and knots. Once she was finished, she styled it into a side pony, using a blue ribbon to keep it in place.

After checking over her appearance for the umpteenth time, she exited her bathroom, returning to her main room. She wandered to her door, but paused upon hearing a noise from her ceiling. She instinctively reached for her keys, her eyes narrowing as the sound disappeared.

The woman looked around her apartment quickly, but paused when she saw a small blue lacrima sitting on her counter. Immediately, a bad feeling rose in her chest as she went towards it, seeing that a note was sitting beside it.

Picking it up, her eyes roamed over the words, her jaw clenching as she looked back to the lacrima.

 **When you have the time, watch this little video we put together for you.**

 **-The Heartfilias**

She moved over to her window and shut it, closing the blinds along with it. She moved back to her counter, picking the lacrima up and sitting down at her table.

Tapping the top of the rectangular crystal twice, it made a small 'ding' before a blue screen appeared in front of her. A moment later, a woman appeared on the screen, making Lucy's blood run cold.

 _"Hello, Lucy. If you are watching this, that means Don hasn't fucked anything up."_

The woman on screen brushed her long golden hair over her shoulder, a malicious and wicked look in her brown eyes. The woman looked so identical to Lucy, it made her sick.

 _"I just wanted to tell you that we_ really _miss you here back home. And your Father and I would_ really _appreciate you coming back home. It seems that our um… 'workers' had failed in bringing you back, so we'll have to do it the good old fashioned way."_

Lucy stared at the screen, her hands beginning to tremble as she clasped them tightly in her lap.

 _"If you do not return within the next week, I will be sure to send out a few of my workers to retrieve that little boy toy of yours. And I wouldn't doubt me. He isn't as strong as you think he is."_

There was a small pause as Lucy's jaw clenched.

" _It seems like you haven't told anyone about your family heritage, and honestly- it pains me. To think you aren't proud of what your Father and I do… it breaks my heart."_

A cruel laugh bubbles out of the woman's throat as Lucy flinched, her breathing beginning to quicken. She doesn't even notice the tears that were collecting in her eyes, all she could focus on was the unforgivingly dark eyes of her Mother.

 _"If you choose not to return, I will make sure your little boyfriend fears you by the time I'm finished with him. I also won't forget to tell your_ precious family _about how you're a Heartfilia. I will make them hate you with every ounce of their being. If you think I'm lying, here's a little visual of what I'll do to the Dragon Slayer."_

The camera suddenly turned around to a tall man with dirty blonde hair. He was smiling crazily as he held a rather large machete in his hands. He looked almost animalistic.

Lucy felt her sobs begging to escape as the camera zoomed out a little, revealing more of the room. There was a man who was on his knees, gagged and blindfolded. He visibly shook as her Father laughed wickedly, raising the machete and slamming it down into the man's neck.

Her eyes widened to the size of saucers as a sob tore from her throat, hearing the man scream in pure agony as her Father wacked him over and over with the machete, killing him painfully slow.

She tore her eyes away from the screen, shutting them tightly as bile rose in the back of her throat. Running to her sink, she emptied her stomach contents, into it, still hearing the man screech in pain.

Minutes felt like years, and the screaming finally stopped, but she could hear the distinct sound of the blade hitting the man's skin.

 _"Now, please make your decision. Feel free to watch this as many times as you want, Lucy Ashley. You'll be a Heartfilia again soon enough."_

With that, the lacrima shut off, the screen disappearing.

Lucy washed out her mouth with some water, her stomach churning with resentment towards her parents. They hadn't given her any loophole, she couldn't just run away this time. The one person she cared about most in the world- his life was at stake.

It was time to stop thinking about herself, and return to _them._ But protecting her family was more important than her life.

She knew by returning, she was willingly giving her life away.

* * *

 **Yo. So I had like no inspiration yesterday, so I kind of was just like- "Tomorrow is good." So I updated today.**

 **Anyhow, I hope this was satisfactory for all of y'all and I hope you're enjoying it. I'm actually excited for the next few chapters, which means they may or may not be longer then usual. The next chapter is going to be a doosey.** **I'm also thinking about a new story that I'm itching to write, to watch out for that.**

 **I hope you have a fan-freaking-tastic day/afternoon/night!**

 **Until next time my loves!**


	8. Chapter 8: Sneaking Away

_**Keeping a Piece of Me**_

 _ **Chapter 8: Sneaking Away**_

* * *

Lucy grabbed the blue lacrima off of her table, along with the note, walking over to her dresser and opening her underwear drawer and burying the items under a layer of her clothing. She would grab them later on her way out tonight.

Sighing heavily, she closed the drawer, rubbing her temples. A lump made itself known in her throat, the gravity of the situation settling on her shoulders. She really didn't want to leave them, Mavis knows how they will react when they realize she's gone.

Swallowing thickly, she takes in a deep a breath, making sure to brush her teeth again, trying to get the taste of vomit out of her mouth.

Once she deemed herself to be looking presentable, she made sure to one last sweep of her apartment, making sure everything was in place.

After seeing everything was in order, she left her apartment to spend her last day at the guild she loves.

* * *

Natsu perked up when Lucy _finally_ was finished getting ready.

"Hey Luce!" He greeted, causing the blonde to jump at his voice. She placed a hand over her heart, sighing when she realized it was just her best friend. But just as soon as the relief came, it was washed away when she furrowed her eyebrows in confusion at the male.

"How long have you been out here?" She asked, her eyes drifting down to his bare chest for a moment. "And shirtless."

He felt a strange warm feeling envelop his stomach, subconsciously flexing his muscles as he readjusted his scarf.

"I-I was waiting for you, weirdo." He said, wondering why he sounded so nervous. "I wanted to make sure no assassins got to ya." He saw her eyes darken for a single moment before they returned to the normal- making him wonder if he had just imagined the look.

"Thanks." She responded dryly. "Do you know where Happy went?"

"No, but I assume he either went back home or to the guild." He said, dismissing the conversation as they began to walk in silence.

"You should probably go get a shirt on." Lucy suggested, avoiding the Dragon Slayer's eyes. The male didn't miss the slight coloring to her cheeks as she said it, making his stomach flip.

"Why? Am I _distracting_ you?" He asked teasingly, smirking as her face exploded red.

"Well, Y-Yeah." She said, surprising them both. Natsu's eyes widened as the heat on his neck moved up to his face, the blonde absolutely refusing to meet his gaze. He swallowed thickly, his heart pounding as he took in her adorably embarrassed face.

His hand moved on its own and grabbed her clenched one, making her look up at him in surprise. This time he avoided her eyes and kept walking towards the guild at a brisk pace. Lucy didn't say a single word the entire time, making the male wonder if he had screwed up somehow. But seeing as she didn't pull her hand away... that was good, right?

As they arrived at the guild, Natsu was prepared to let Lucy's hand go but was surprised when she held onto his tightly. He buried the giddy feeling he felt when she gave him a shy smile and went to sit down at a table.

Happy was already waiting for them and flew over to the two mages, smirking upon seeing their connected hands.

"When's the wedding?" He asked, trying to muffle his laughs with his paws. Lucy scowled at the cat, her thoughtful expression turning sour in a moment.

"Shut it, cat!" She hissed, glaring murderously at the feline.

"Natsu! Lushi's being mean again!" He exclaimed hiding behind his partner and peeking at the blonde from over his exposed shoulder. Natsu snickered at their exchange, noticing that Lucy still made no attempt to let go of his hand.

He was utterly delighted with this, and decided that holding Lucy's hand was his new favorite thing to do.

"Do you think if I offered her a fish she wouldn't be so mean?" Happy asked Natsu in a mock whisper. Lucy's eyes narrowed, but both the males seemed to be oblivious of her gaze.

"I don't think so." Natsu said back. "No amount of fish will ever make Lucy nice."

And _**boy howdy**_ was that the absolute worst thing you could say in front of the blonde.

In a moment, a shirtless Natsu was seen flying across the guild, a large red mark on his cheek followed by Happy in a similar condition.

Lucy was seething back at their table, not bothered by the horrified looks she received from the members. He deserved it afterall.

Seeing that she was alone, Erza approached the blonde, sitting in the seat across from her. Lucy blinked in surprise, watching an apologetic look appear on the red head's face.

"Uh hey, Erza." She said, her anger immediately dissipating.

"Lucy," The requip mage started, fidgeting in her seat. "I wanted to apologize for the way I have been acting towards you. I was just… upset and distraught to learn about the attackers. I'm sorry that I have been acting so coldly towards you."

The blonde reached across the table, feeling guilt begin to eat away at her heart. She grabbed one of Erza's hands, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"It's fine. I'm not mad at you." She says, almost giggling at the instant relief in the woman's eyes. "In fact, I probably would've reacted the same way you did if I were in your shoes. The attackers are no laughing matter."

With a nod, Erza gave her a smile just as Natsu and Happy returned.

"I thought holding hands was our thing!" The Dragon Slayer said in a pouty tone, looking crestfallen as Lucy giggled. Her cheeks were tinted pink as she invited the male to sit down next to her, allowing him to grab her hand. The S-class mage grimaced upon seeing the large purple bruise on his face as well as him being shirtless, but didn't comment.

The three began to chat, Gray and Juvia joining in a little later followed by Happy who had brought a fish to apologize.

As the day wore away, Lucy's mood began to sink. She was trying to see as many people as she could before she had to leave. She never thought she would see the day where she would willingly leave Fairy Tail, to go back to her family no less, but life has a funny of sticking things to you.

Stepping out of her beloved guild was the single hardest thing she's had to do in her life. Escaping from her Mother and Father- a close second.

Natsu was right beside her, as well as Happy, but it was still a difficult thing to do. The walk to her apartment seemed to take forever, her legs feeling like lead.

"Lusshhi, I'm hungry," Happy whined, landing on her head roughly. "Can you make me some fish?" The blonde smiled, though it was lacking her usual joy and shook her head.

"No Happy, I think I want to just go straight to bed. Plus, we're going on a mission tomorrow so you guys need your rest." She said, her voice sounding somewhat strained. Happy's eyebrows furrowed in worry, picking up on the change of tone quickly. Natsu was watching her silently, hearing the change as well.

"Are you sure, Luce? I wouldn't mind slee-" The blonde cut him off when she wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly. He responded quickly and wrapped his arms around her neck, thinking of how backwards the whole situation felt. She quickly grabbed Happy off of her head and placed him in the middle of them, the feline being stuck in between the hug.

"You guys are my best friends," She said softly, giving Happy a quick kiss on his blue head. "Don't ever forget that."

They were silent for a few minutes, just standing and enjoying the warmth radiating off of each other.

"Luce, are you okay?" Natsu asked pulling away from the female for a moment. Happy was looking at her with worry as well, wondering why she was acting so weird. Lucy merely smiled in response, giving Happy another kiss on his nose.

"No just wanted you guys to know that." She said, trying her hardest to keep her tears back. Happy was still frowning, wondering why he was getting so many kisses. The blue feline flew on top of Lucy's head, settling on her blonde hair as she hugged the pink haired man again.

Natsu felt his heart pound against his chest when she pulled away slightly, looking up to his onyx eyes. Time seemed to freeze when Lucy suddenly stood on her tippy toes and pecked him on the lips with her own.

The male's eyes widened to the size of saucers as he blinked rapidly, still feeling the heat of her lips on his own. A strange sensation was sent through his entire body, making him feel warm and fuzzy in the pit of his stomach.

She was about to let go of him when he leaned down and smashed their lips together again, relishing the warmth of her as his eyes fluttered closed. The blonde was surprised, but got over the feeling quickly by kissing him back with the same passion and heat he was radiating.

His hand moved to cup her cheek, the other moving down her side to the small of her back, pulling her flush against his front. The blonde had both of her hands moved to the back of his neck, one slowly combing through his hair while the other stayed still.

As soon as the need for air became too great, they both pulled apart, their breaths mingling together. Natsu then smiled gently, opening his eyes to see the blonde's flushed features.

"You liiiiiiiiike each other!" Happy proclaimed, making them both jump. This time, instead of denying it, Lucy laughed gently and looked to her best friend.

Suddenly remembering where they were, she cursed under her breath.

"So um… that was… nice." She said awkwardly, Natsu inwardly sighing.

"Yeah, we should do it again some time." He said, grinning happily to the woman he was holding. She nodded shyly, giving him a small kiss on his lips. Happy was flying around, talking randomly about how much they love each other.

Lucy gave the male another hug, standing again on her toes so she was close to his ear.

"I love you." She whispered, making the man pause for a moment before smiling warmly.

"I love you too." He whispered sweetly, squeezing her tight. He pulled back for a moment and gave her another kiss on the lips before Happy begged them to stop kissing and make him some food.

The couple laughed at the cat, both giving each other one last kiss before calling it a night and heading back home. He did it reluctantly, but he left.

When the Dragon Slayer left, Lucy already felt like a piece of her heart was missing.

Going up to her apartment, she wondered why in the world she would ever think to kiss the male, let alone tell him she loves him. She was going to _leave_ him. _Abandon_ them. She was just adding so much more to his heartache, and that thought alone made her sick with guilt.

The blonde quickly grabbed her pink suitcase out from under her bed, going through a few of her drawers and grabbing a few changes of clothes while leaving everything else. She didn't bring any of her belongings, knowing they will just be taken away when she gets to the prison.

She shoved all her fears and doubts into the deepest pit of her heart, not allowing them to surface as she checked to make sure she had all her keys along with her whip. Going through her suitcase once more, she made sure she had everything.

Lastly the blonde made sure to get a sack of jewel for the trip over, along with grabbing a black cloak, draping it over her shoulders.

Taking one last sweep through of her apartment, she allowed a few tears to drip down her cheeks, not bothering to wipe them away.

"Goodbye." She said thickly, dragging her suitcase behind her as she slipped a note under her landlady's door, along with the 70,000 jewel for that month's rent.

Heading to the train station in the dead of night, she left behind her friends, family and love…

along with a blue lacrima and note, hidden away in her dresser.

* * *

 **Yo. So I'm sorry for the lack of updates with this one, but I have had a weird no-inspiration spell with this so I tried my best to get a presentable one out to y'all.**

 **So yeah, Lucy and Natsu kissed and confessed their love for each other! I wasn't planning for it to happen so early in the story, but I kinda just felt that Lucy would do somethimg like that. I mean, she believes she won't see him ever again- that she won't be able to survive her family. So yeah, the kiss happened.**

 **Also, I really didn't feel like going through this all and reading it to edit properly, so there may be a few mistakes here and there- so my apologies.**

 **Have a practically perfect day/afternoon/night!**

 **Until next time my loves!**


	9. Chapter 9: Uncertain Future

_**Keeping a Piece of Me**_

 _ **Chapter 9: Uncertain Future**_

* * *

Lucy ran a hand through her blonde hair, walking through the village of Snakeroot, a frown adorning her grim aura. She looked around the various stands, looking for a certain one.

It had been nearly four days since she left Fairy Tail, and the pain and guilt was near unbearable. She could only imagine how everyone had reacted- how _Natsu_ reacted. She just _had_ to kiss him and spout her love for him. That probably made everything about a million times harder for the poor Dragon Slayer.

Shaking her head, she looked around the quiet market, spotting a large and intricately designed 'H' signifying the Heartfilia family. This village is used for bringing in the prisoners and keeping them until there was space on the island, though there was actual people- who weren't prisoners –living there. It was slightly confusing how they either never noticed, or didn't care about the Heartfilia family guards who walked around freely.

Walking up to the vendor, she paused, the man studying her for a moment. His eyes widened in recognition, she was a spitting image of her Mother, after all.

"Heartfilia," He began, his eyes narrowing on her as she growled under her breath. "Didn't think you'd really come."

"When you threaten my family," She hissed. "I will go through any and all lengths to protect them." He merely snorted in amusement, holding a hand to the side. A black magic circle appeared on the open palm of his hand, and a moment later, a raven had materialized out of thin air.

"Let the bosses know that we have their daughter, and she's on her way." He said simply, smirking evilly as the raven cawed, taking off. Lucy watched as it flew onto the sky, leaving her to go tell her parents that she would be returning.

The male smiled wryly, making a gesture for him to follow her.

He led her down the street, passing other vendors and shops, not stopping as the people called out to them to buy their wares. As they neared the end of the street, they took a sharp left into a shady looking building called 'Lilac Bar' the blonde scowling darkly.

As soon as she was inside, the smell of alcohol and sweat assaulted her nose, causing her to gag. She followed the man, ignoring the way a few men called out to her with indignant words, but as soon as she sends them a glare, they back off.

The man brought her to the back, nodding to a few of the chefs and waitresses. One of the women, a blue haired woman with a large scar over her left eye, was staring at her with an unreadable expression. Lucy tried not to look at her, but she could feel her heated gaze boring onto her skin.

"When's the next boat leaving for the island?" The guard asked, looking around to see if anyone knew.

"Tomorra', is that 'er?" A chef asked, a pipe sticking out of the corner of his mouth. He only received a nod in response before the guard had grabbed her arm roughly, making her twitch with the need to slap the man.

Only, she didn't.

* * *

Natsu sat with his head in his hands on a guild table. The entire place was silent as Master assessed a small blue lacrima sitting in front of him, looking tense with a clenched jaw as the pink haired male waited.

After finding his that his girlfriend had just up and left had surprised everyone. However, Erza and Makorov had ordered a full examination of her home. Natsu had caught a whiff of another's scent in the home- a female one, but not Lucy's obviously –he had traced it back to her underwear drawer and found the lacrima and note.

So now everyone waited patiently for the Master to figure out how to see what was on it.

"Natsu, are you sure you want to see what's on this?" He asked, breaking the fragile silence. The Dragon Slayer lifted his head, his eyes shining with a fierce determination.

"Of course I do," He said, almost growling it out, the question was rhetorical in his mind. "It might have something about Lucy's whereabouts on it. And when I find out where she is, there is nothing that will stop me from getting to her."

There was a heavy silence as his words sunk in. Makarov nodded before letting out a sigh, placing the lacrima down on the table and tapping it on the top. A few guild members were gathered around the table, Gray and Erza making sure to be at the front. Happy was sitting on the requip mage's shoulder, watching as the blue screen popped up.

Everyone gasped as a woman, looking like an older version of Lucy only with a dash of wickedness, appeared on the screen. Natsu swallowed thickly.

 _"Hello, Lucy. If you are watching this, that means Don hasn't fucked anything up."_

Natsu's hands clenched into fists as he slammed them down on the table, startling a few, but not enough to stop watching.

 _"I just wanted to tell you that we really miss you here back home. And your Father and I would really appreciate you coming back home. It seems that our um… 'workers' had failed in bringing you back, so we'll have to do it the good old fashioned way."_

"Those fuckers." Natsu growled, his blazing with anger and hatred for this woman and whatever she was a part of.

 _"If you do not return within the next week, I will be sure to send out a few of my workers to retrieve that little boy toy of yours."_ Natsu's eyes widened. _"And I wouldn't doubt me. He isn't as strong as you think he is."_

In moments, the dragon slayer could feel stares burning his skin. He swallowed thickly as the woman continued on screen, pushing that last thought to the back of his mind.

 _"It seems like you haven't told anyone about your family heritage, and honestly- it pains me. To think you aren't proud of what your Father and I do… it breaks my heart."_

Erza and Gray glanced at each other, the redhead seething with barely controlled anger. She wasn't just anybody from the Heartfilia's, no, she is their _daughter_.

 _"If you choose not to return, I will make sure your little boyfriend fears you by the time I'm finished with him. I also won't forget to tell your_ precious family _about how you're a Heartfilia_." Too late for that, Erza thought bitterly. She glanced over at Natsu, seeing him practically shake with anger and rage. _"I will make them hate you with every ounce of their being. If you think I'm lying, here's a little visual of what I'll do to the Dragon Slayer."_

Several members had turned away from the display, though the sounds of the man's brutal beating was heard loud and clear. Natsu watched the screen with wide eyes, a sudden edge of worry behind them.

Now, if anyone had seen this in his eyes- they would think he was worried about his own wellbeing. But Erza had known Natsu since he was just a boy, she knew for a fact that he wasn't worried for himself.

 _"Now, please make your decision. Feel free to watch this as many times as you want, Lucy Ashley. You'll be a Heartfilia again soon enough."_

No, he was worried for the Celestial Mage that was going back to those monsters.

* * *

 **Yo.**

 **It has been way too long! I know, I know, I have been the most inconsistent uploader on the history of the planet- but I apologize for that! School has been awful- but I'm on break right now which means writing time!**

 **So hopefully I'll upload sooner rather than later.**

 **Anyway, thank you for reading!**

 **Have a jovial day/afternoon/night!**


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